Pacific Northwest America Studies Association Conference

Friday, Apr 18 to Saturday, Apr 19, 2014 8:00 am to 12:30 pm

Pacific Northwest American Studies Association Conference

ELLENSBURG, Wash- Central Washington University (CWU) will be hosting the Pacific Northwest American Studies Association Conference (PNASA). This year's theme is Native/ American: Placing the Indigenous in American Studies. The conference will have multiple areas of focus and include sessions regarding Sovereignty & Subjectivity, Native Education, Representing the Native, and Power and Masculinity. The conference kicks off on Friday, April 18, 2014 in the SURC. Sessions and demonstrations will take place all day Friday and continue until Saturday afternoon.

The conference will feature scholars from all around the Pacific Northwest to discuss topics related to the native tribes of North America. “The Kittitas Valley, including Ellensburg, is all land ceded from indigenous people such as Yakima Nation,” Dr. Chris Schedler, professor of English at Central Washington University and current president of PNASA said. “There are many issues that are not well known and we are trying to bring attention to them.”

In addition to the conference there be a Native Arts and Crafts Fair from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. in the main floor area of the Student Union and Recreation Center. The fair will feature Native artwork, crafts and jewelry. Live demonstrations of traditional medicines will also be featured in the SURC Pit at 10:45, 11:15 and 11:45 a.m. Friday wraps up at 6:00 p.m. with the film, “River People” in the SURC Theatre. The following day sessions begin again in at 9:00 a.m. in the Chief Owhi room (SURC 137 AB) and continue through 12:15 p.m.

The conference is free to CWU students. The students have the ability to attend the topics of discussion that interest them. Residents from the Ellensburg community are also invited to attend the conference.

For a full list of the scheduled events and times visit the following URL:www.pnasa.org